QA coffee roasters to compete in espresso competition

Two local coffee purveyors will compete in the inaugural America’s Best Espresso Competition, which will take place in Seattle as part of the Coffee Fest event on Sept. 21: Caffe Vita, 813 Fifth Ave. N., and Conduit Coffee Co., located south of the Fremont Bridge.

The competition will focus solely on the skill and talent needed to produce excellent espresso roasts and blends. The Washington Restaurant Association’s restaurateurs and chefs will judge based on flavor complexity, mouth feel and appeal and aftertaste.

Thirty-two semifinalists were selected for the competition, with participants coming from as far as California, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico and Alberta, Canada.

The competition kicks off on Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m. and will continue in a head-to-head, bracket-style elimination finishing on Sept. 23.

The winning roaster will be announced alongside Coffee Fest’s Latte Art World Championship Open and America’s Best Coffeehouse competitors at 4:05 p.m. that day.

For more information about Coffee Fest and the competition, visit www.CoffeeFest.com